Mark 4:30-34

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30 Then Jesus said, “How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade.” 33 Jesus used many stories like these to teach the crowd God’s message—as much as they could understand. 34 He always used stories to teach them. But when he and his followers were alone, Jesus explained everything to them. ~ Mark 4:30-34

Today, we return to Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus is teaching the disciples about the Kingdom of God. The term "Kingdom of God" occurs some sixty times in the first three Gospels. If we have a kingdom, there has to be a king. And, this King is our Heavenly Father. 

Broadly speaking, the Kingdom of God is God's operating system for the universe. It reveals how things really are supposed to be. And, more narrowly, the kingdom of God is the spiritual rule of God over the hearts and the lives of all who willingly submit to His authority. 

In Matthew 6:32-33, the Lord Jesus said, "Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Seeking the kingdom of God is seeking to be defined by God. It is taking to heart what God has said on a given subject. And, as always, God has our best in mind for us. If He says, "Wait to have sex until you get married," then we wait to have sex until we get married. If He says, "Do not drink alcohol to the point of getting drunk," then we do not drink alcohol to the point of getting drunk. The "kingdom of God" is merely the definitions of God applied to our daily lives.

In v.30-32 of today's passage we read, "30 Then Jesus said, 'How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade.'"

In His teaching, the Lord Jesus frequently used the mustard seed as a symbol of faith. In fact, in Matthew 17:20, He said, "... if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

The mustard seed is a great symbol of faith because it has certain qualities: First of all, it has an inherent capacity for growth. A seed is able to grow, and so can faith. In fact, faith that is not used will not grow; but if it is used, it grows. When we trust Him in little things, we learn to trust Him in the bigger things. But, the issue really isn't the trust. The issue is knowing Him, and, we do not know Him without placing our trust in Him. And, the more we get to know Him, the more we will love Him.

The mustard seed bush is no more than eight to ten feet in height. It is a rather insignificant and unimpressive bush. Here, the Lord Jesus illustrates the absurdness of faith that grows. For us humans, in our fallen state, faith in the God of the Bible, is not normal. But, it is possible for humans to have faith in the God of the Bible which grows with use. So, the Lord Jesus uses this parable of the lowly mustard seed to illustrate His point. He is using the absurd to illustrate the absurd.

In doing so, the Lord Jesus is communicating a secret of His kingdom. This mustard seed is supposed to be lowly and unimpressive, yet it becomes something that has a great effect on others. And, the purpose of the seed is it grows up to be a bush which provides shelter for the birds. And, the mustard bush provides more than just shade for birds, it also provides a spice that makes food taste good. In addition to that, it also has medicinal purposes.

In v.33-34 of today's passage we read, "33 Jesus used many stories like these to teach the crowd God’s message—as much as they could understand. 34 He always used stories to teach them. But when he and his followers were alone, Jesus explained everything to them."

By using parables, the Lord Jesus was able to share truths that immediately connected with His listeners. When these truths corresponded with things from their daily lives-like bread baking, farming, and traveling, His hearers largely understood. As a result, the people became more engaged so that in their minds they experienced the story for themselves. When the Lord Jesus taught in parables, He engaged the people’s imaginations, allowing them to arrive at the most important truths in life.

If we are willing to let Him, God will build His kingdom wherever we are today. When we trust in Him, deeply, concluding He is truly with us and He is actively guiding every one of our steps, we can let go of the anxious worry that we tend to hold onto. We can be fully where we are, in each moment, and enjoy our incredible Creator and His work in and through our lives.

George Mueller was a German Christian whose most impressive work was done among and for orphans. On one occasion, the orphans were dressed and ready for school, but there was no food for them to eat. Mueller ordered the three hundred children into the dining room and had them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. Mueller knew God would provide food for the children. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. “Mr. Mueller,” he said, “last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. So, I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in.” Just a moment later there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. So, the milkman asked Mr. Mueller if he could use some free milk. Mr. Mueller smiled as the milkman brought in ten large containers of milk. It was just enough milk for the 300 thirsty children.  Such is the nature of faith in God and His kingdom which makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. 

Mark 4:26-29

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26 Then Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who plants seed in the ground. 27 Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still grows, but the person does not know how it grows. 28 By itself the earth produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. 29 When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it, because this is the harvest time.” ~ Mark 4:26-29

Today, we return to our study of Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus has been teaching the people who had gathered around Him at one of the lakes that come off of the Sea of Galilee. After teaching the parable of the soils, the disciples later came to Him asking for the explanation of the parable. This parable describes the various responses of people to hearing the Gospel. In order to understand the remainder of His parables, we must understand this one.

Whereas the parable of the soils featured four types of soil, the parable of the seed in today's passage features only one type of soil: good soil. This parable is found only in the Gospel of Mark. Three things are done by the one who casts the seed to the ground: he casts the seed, he sleeps, and he harvests. The soil does three things: it produces the stalk, then the head, and then the full kernel. The man's actions resonate with that of the rhythm of the seed and of the soil. Illustrated here is that the Word of God always accomplishes His purposes in the hearts of the willing.

The believer's role in someone else coming to faith in the Lord Jesus is likened here to a farmer who plants the seed and then goes home and goes to bed. There is no need to stay awake 24 hours a day. We are not responsible for what happens when a person is presented the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. This is the wonder of it all. God does all of the heavy lifting.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "By itself the earth produces grain." From the Greek word translated "produces" here, we get our English word "automatic." This word refers to something that happens without a visible cause. The word translated "by itself" is actually placed in an emphatic position at the beginning of the sentence in the original text. It is used only one other time in the New Testament. It is found in Luke’s account of Peter’s miraculous release from prison in Acts 5. 

All of this is to say, our justification and sanctification in Christ is not produced by any human means. The whole process is divinely automatic. We can not start it, and, we can not stop it. Once it begins, it continues to the end. Oh, there may be a few hiccups here and there, but it will continue til the end. We have no role in the actual work of salvation, but we get in on the harvest.

In v.27 we read, "Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still grows." 

This is a paradox. The seed goes into the ground and dies. And as it dies, out of it comes life. No man truly understands this miracle. The farmer can't make that happen. No human can make that happen. The best horticulturalists in the world don't know how it happens. Out of the dying seed comes life, and, it illustrates the wonder of the Gospel. When received the Gospel, it gave us life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ gave us the ability to relate to God. But, before the life comes forth, there has to be death. This is the mystery of God's life in a man.

The parables of the Lord Jesus illustrate the kingdom of God in the heart of the willing. We are made in the image of what we desire. When we became believers in the Lord Jesus, we were positioned to learn of His perfect heart for us. And, at some point, we were convinced of the fact that He loves us no matter what. This type of love moves us to want to tell others about Him. We give what we have. If we did not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, we would not have the desire to give to others. 

The seed is the word of God, though rejected by most, it germinates in the hearts of the willing. And, at the right time, it produces a "harvest." The seed is powerful, it does its best work when no one’s looking. Underscored here is the idea that faith involves believing in what we can not see. We must not lose sight of the fact that God most often does His best and deepest work in our hearts in times of apparent barrenness. After all, roots grow deeper when the atmosphere is dry. 

There was a man who one day came upon an automatic water fountain for the first time in his life. But he could not see how to make it work.  It had no tap to step on, nor did it have a button to press. He became very frustrated. He was about to turn away when a janitor pointed out to him a little sign on the wall just behind the fountain that read, "Stoop and drink."  When he stooped over the fountain, he discovered that a beam of light detected his presence and the water automatically came flowing out. This illustrates the value of our thirst. It is only when we stoop that we are positioned to drink! When we die to self, we are positioned to grow in the culture of our Savior. This growth is actually the expression of His life through ours. We call this sanctification. This is the truth taught by the parable of the seed.

Mark 4:21-25

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21 Then Jesus said to them, “Do you hide a lamp under a bowl or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lampstand. 22 Everything that is hidden will be made clear and every secret thing will be made known. 23 Let those with ears use them and listen! 24 “Think carefully about what you hear. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you, but God will give you even more. 25 Those who have understanding will be given more. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them.” ~ Mark 4:21-25

Today, we return to Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus had begun teaching the crowds using parables. In fact, on this particular day, He used a parable which the disciples later asked for an explanation. The Lord Jesus has just given His explanation of the parable of the sower, and now, He gives more teaching regarding how we must hear in order to be effective in His call on our lives to be His messengers.

In v.21-23 of today's passage we read, "21 Then Jesus said to them, “Do you hide a lamp under a bowl or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lampstand. 22 Everything that is hidden will be made clear and every secret thing will be made known. 23 Let those with ears use them and listen!"

Christianity is unique among religions, for it alone offers a personal relationship with the Creator. Of course, Christianity is not a religion because we could never be able to earn God's favor. This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin.

In today's passage, the Lord Jesus taught about our ability to perceive coming on the heels of listening. He began this teaching with an invitation to "listen" in Mark 4:3. Twice he has challenged anyone with ears to hear to "listen."  The reason the Lord Jesus taught using parables was to enable those who are eager to learn from Him to hear and understand. But, when His teaching is rejected, we can expect a measure of hardening of our hearts to the truth. The Lord Jesus made it clear that understanding the parable of the soils was key to understanding all of His parables. The humility that ushered us into God's family is the characteristic that forges His kingdom in our souls.

The parable of the sower accentuates hearing His word deeply, and, as a result, enjoying the results of the power of His word in our lives. The parable of the lamp in today's passage magnifies what is and what isn’t seen. Through this teaching, the Lord Jesus is saying, "See what you listen to." This means if we are to see deeply with our hearts, we must listen deeply. And then, the goal beyond that is that others would come to know Him through our yielded lives. Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, "The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! You are the light of the world."

In biblical days the lamp was a shallow dish made out of clay, just about three to four inches in diameter. This dish had a shallow little lip on one side so that a wick could be laid in it with a few ounces of oil. And, the lamp stand was a little shelf that protruded out of the wall. The brightly lit lamp was not only set on the lamp stand, it shined brightly into the darkness.

I find it reassuring that the Lord Jesus used the clay lamp to illustrate us, His followers. We are but clay pots. And, as a result, we are privileged to be the instruments of God. In those days the jars of clay were common, inexpensive, and frail. And, despite our weakness, God has chosen to use clay pots with the dissemination of His treasure. The greatness of His treasure is in sharp contrast to the frailness of the clay pots. The stark contrast shows that the power is certainly from God and we are merely instruments of His great power. Key here is humility which thrives with such understanding, and, the message shines brightest out of such a posture.

The higher the lit lamp was placed in the house, the more light it dispersed. So the idea here is that the Gospel was never intended to be kept hidden, but to be given out to everyone. Our responsibility is to live in and out of the light of the Gospel to the world as the Lord leads our yielded lives on a given day. As we live our lives organically, His power is shown forth through our yielded lives.

In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 “Think carefully about what you hear. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you, but God will give you even more. 25 Those who have understanding will be given more. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them."  

Our capacity for insight into the truths of God expands as we listen and see more deeply. It is not that we see and hear, it is that our hearts and minds are so focused on the words of the Lord Jesus that His message pushes out the shallow and gives way to His depth. There is a relationship between the effort we put in and the understanding we receive from God. The amount of careful listening we put in, equals the amount of understanding we get. The more reading, seeking, discerning, the more understanding we receive. And likewise, the less of these things we do, the less understanding we receive. 

And, in the end, it is the Lord Jesus who gives us what we really need: His perspective. The more we live in and out of His truth, the less of ourselves we will see. The essence of true spiritual insight and the resulting usefulness is that of being humble enough to seek and listen. The power of the gospel is not the product of human genius, it is that we, as mere clay pots, are weak enough to realize our utter need for Him.  

Mark 4:13-20

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13 Then Jesus said to his followers, “Don’t you understand this story? If you don’t, how will you understand any story? 14 The farmer is like a person who plants God’s message in people. 15 Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like the people who hear the teaching of God, but Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them. 16 Others are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching and quickly accept it with joy. 17 But since they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives, they keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they quickly give up. 18 Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, 19 but the worries of this life, the temptation of wealth, and many other evil desires keep the teaching from growing and producing fruit in their lives. 20 Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more.” ~ Mark 4:13-20

Today we return to Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus is alone with His followers and He is giving to them the explanation of the parable of the soils. This story was something the disciples would all relate to, an agricultural story, a picture that they all knew very well of a man sowing a bag of seed. 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus said to his followers, “Don’t you understand this story? If you don’t, how will you understand any story?"

Since we were born sinful, we had to be rescued from the bonds of sin in order to have a relationship with God. Our sin separated us from God. This is why the Lord Jesus came to pay the penalty for sin. He did this in order to free us from the grasp of the devil. Once we are "born again" we are positioned to know the Lord for ourselves and to understand the teaching of the Lord Jesus. It all begins with a heart that is receptive to the voice of God. 

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 The farmer is like a person who plants God’s message in people. 15 Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like the people who hear the teaching of God, but Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them."

In this parable, the Lord Jesus is the farmer who spread His seed or the secret to the kingdom of God. This first type of soil, the Lord Jesus accentuates is the one that is shallow. Due to shallowness of heart, Satan takes away the teaching that was planted. These people are those who never enter into a personal relationship with God because the truth never penetrated their hearts.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 Others are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching and quickly accept it with joy. 17 But since they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives, they keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they quickly give up." 

This type of soil or heart shows interest in the truth and even expresses joy over its discovery, but, only for a short time. Initially this person gets excited about the Gospel, but his excitement wanes. His problem is that he gets excited about everything and nothing is all that special to him. So, since this person runs from one thing that excites him to another, he misses the reality of the Gospel. He has never been born again. And, when he gets challenged in his faith, when suffering shows up, his response becomes, "How could a God of love allow this? I'm not going to believe this anymore." The problem was he didn't believe in the first place.

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "18 Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, 19 but the worries of this life, the temptation of wealth, and many other evil desires keep the teaching from growing and producing fruit in their lives."

This person shows some receptivity to the truth but it really never penetrates his heart because the deceitfulness of riches choke the word right out of his life. This person has a crowded heart. The seed goes in, but there are weeds all around it that prevent it from maturing. The root system of the weeds take up the nutrients in the soil preventing the growth of the seed. And then, when hard times come and God doesn't work in his life like he thinks He should, he turns away from the truth. 

Sadly, the same truth that awakens one blinds another. Just like the same sun that melts the ice, hardens the clay. The same rain that waters the field, floods the river. The same truth that opens a person's eyes, blinds another's because they essentially do not want to get it. 

In this parable, of those who hear the word, 25 percent show no growth at all, while 50 percent the growth is minimal and only temporary, and, only 25 percent show real spiritual connection to God. That means 75 percent reject the message of the Gospel.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more."

This is the one that hears the word, accepts it, and the word bears fruit in and through his life. This is the fruitful heart. Notice the sentence, "sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more." That means to the degree that we invest in God's culture to that degree will we reap of His bounty. The key is yieldedness on our part. And then, it is up to God to produce the results.

Mark 4:10-12

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10 Later, when Jesus was alone, the twelve apostles and others around him asked him about the stories. 11 Jesus said, "You can know the secret about the kingdom of God. But to other people I tell everything by using stories 12 so that: They will look and look, but they will not learn. They will listen and listen, but they will not understand. If they did learn and understand, they would come back to me and be forgiven." ~ Mark 4:10-12

Today, we return to one of the lakes off of the Sea of Galilee where the Lord Jesus had been teaching the crowd. And, now that the crowd has filtered out of the area, the Lord Jesus was alone with His disciples. Being alone with the Lord is such a great thing because He, in that context, can teach more directly. Being driven to be alone with the Lord is so key to our development in His ways. Our problem is, we do not want those things in our lives that push us closer to Him; things like pain, hardship and trouble.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Later, when Jesus was alone, the twelve apostles and others around him asked him about the stories."

After the crowds had gone home the disciples came to the Lord with questions about the stories He had used in His teaching that day. One of the greatest signs that we have been "born again" is that we seek the truth. But, the problem is this: the truth is inconvenient. Most often, we want the truth when it serves our purposes. The true sign that we have entered into God's family is when we are confronted by the truth, and, we conclude: the truth must win. This will never mean that we will be perfect this side of heaven on measuring up to the truth, but it does mean that if we are born into God's family, we will be the servants of truth, not the other way around. 

Our relationship with the Lord is purely based upon what He did for us on the cross. No amount of change in us has ever garnered the favor of God. And, now that we know that our sin is forgiven us through the cross, we have entered into fellowship with God. Our relationship with Him is based solely on the sacrifice the Lord Jesus made on the cross. Now that we are related to the Lord, we have fellowship with Him. This fellowship is the deepening of our relationship with Him.

Our fellowship with God is largely impacted by how we respond to the truth. He is the truth. And, when there is a clash in our lives between our sinfulness and His truth, then we must choose the truth. And, when we choose the truth, we will grow in our sanctification which is what gets His wisdom into our lives right now. 

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 Jesus said, 'You can know the secret about the kingdom of God. But to other people I tell everything by using stories 12 so that: They will look and look, but they will not learn. They will listen and listen, but they will not understand. If they did learn and understand, they would come back to me and be forgiven."

The believer who is growing in his fellowship with God will know the secrets of God. The Greek word translated "secret" in v.11 is the word from which we get our English word "mystery." The combination of the words questions and mystery provide for us the makings of the stage where a grand pursuit ensues. This is what our fellowship with the Lord is all about. When we entered into our personal relationship with the God of the Bible, we entered the pursuit. And, the more of Him that we get to know, the more we will want.

The development and the deepening of any relationship is largely based on this pursuit. To the degree that we invest our being in the pursuit of anyone will determine how deep that relationship goes. King David wrote, "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you, O LORD."

Our longings determine our search. The problem is the longing is most often created by thirst, and, we want our thirsts quenched right now. But, it does not work that way. The more arduous the pathway to God will determine the glory discovered at the end of the search. But, we do not want to put in the hard work. We often chose the anesthesia over the deepening fellowship, and, the anesthesia turns us numb to the truth.

There are two kinds of hearers, those who follow and those who don't. This is why the Lord speaks in parables, to aid those who are engaged with the truth and the hinder those who are not engaged with the truth. The group of hearers who follow the Lord is known to be obedient to the truth, and, when this happens, we are being defined by God. To those who are defined by His truth is given the secret of the kingdom of God.

In 1 Corinthians 4:1 we read, "People should think of us as servants of Christ, the ones God has trusted with his secrets."

God entrusts the truth to those who are engaged with the truth. Central to receiving the revelation of God and His kingdom is that we are "servants." The Greek word translated "servants" in 1 Corinthians 4:1 means the person who road on the lowest level of the galley on a ship. In that day, there were three levels on the ships. The bottom group who moved the oars, pushed the ship through the sea were called "the servants."

The life of a galley slave was arduous to say the least. The pain and agony of their strenuous work was exhausting. This is the word used here to describe the one to whom God entrusts His truth. To those with the posture of the lowest slave is granted the deepest insights. We do not serve the LORD without serving His Word for His Word is the revelation of His will.

On the other hand, for those who are playing games with the truth, the Lord Jesus spoke in parables, in order to conceal the truth from them. His ultimate goal is to get us positioned to be forgiven our sin and to enter into a personal relationship with Him. So, He allows frustration so that we will turn to Him. He knows what we do not; He knows the answer is the truth.

God has infinite wisdom of all things. The world moves according to His secret will, of which we know little. Wonder is retained by wise pondering. If God never intervened, man would be lost. But, God has intervened by revealing Himself through creation, our consciences, and most profoundly through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 4:1-9

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1 Again Jesus began teaching by the lake. A great crowd gathered around him, so he sat down in a boat near the shore. All the people stayed on the shore close to the water. 2 Jesus taught them many things, using stories. He said, 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed. 4 While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. 6 But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce a crop. 8 Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. It got taller and produced a crop. Some plants made thirty times more, some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Let those with ears use them and listen!” ~ Mark 4:1-9

Today, we transition into Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus has made His way to a lake off of the Sea of Galilee. He taught using parables, in order to reveal the truth to the willing and to conceal the truth from the unwilling. 

We all love a good story because they are known to boost trust, compassion, and empathy. Stories have a unique ability to build connections. The Lord Jesus conveyed truth through telling stories. The Greek word translated parable, is a word that means "cast alongside of" which is used 48 times in the New Testament. The Lord Jesus incorporated parables in one-third of His teaching. A parable is a story cast alongside something else in order to illustrate the truth for those with a willing heart. The Lord Jesus utilized parables in order to convey to them something that was unknown to them up to that point. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Again Jesus began teaching by the lake. A great crowd gathered around him, so he sat down in a boat near the shore. All the people stayed on the shore close to the water."

The first word of this verse informs us it was the practice of the Lord Jesus to teach with the Lake as His backdrop. And, this time, He used a boat as a pulpit, and, He taught the people concepts that are humanly difficult to grasp.  

In v.2-3 of today's passage we read, "2 Jesus taught them many things, using stories. He said, 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed."

The Lord Jesus taught the crowd this parable about the farmer who sowed seed on three types of ground which all failed to produce a result. This is one of 39 distinct parables the Lord Jesus used. Notice He introduced this parable with an invitation to "listen." This is the key to understanding the different results in this parable.

In this case, listening is believing. God will always appeal to the deepest longings of our hearts because He made us to be in a personal relationship with Him. The Lord Jesus said in John 17:3, "Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." 

There are two main ways to get to know anyone. One way is to hear about them from someone else. Another is to hear from them for ourselves. The advantage we have in developing our relationship with God is that He tells us about Himself in the Scripture which is His self-revelation. Essential in knowing God is to come to Him through His written and His Living Word. Of course, the Living Word is the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. 

In Hebrews 11:6 we learn that the Lord Jesus rewards us with revelation about Himself when we seek Him. And, the seed in today's parable represents the Word of God. 

According to Romans 10:17, it is His word that creates faith in us. But not all who hear the word, as in this story, believe. The difference is that of willingness of heart. Faith operates in the arena of our souls which are made up of our minds, our wills, and our emotions. Faith is an act of our wills. This explains the different responses given in this parable. 

In v.4-7 of today's passage we read, "4 While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. 6 But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce a crop."

The first three responses to the seed was not adequate because the soil did not receive the seed so that it could germinate and grow roots. The unwilling heart represented by these three soils was too shallow in its understanding of reality. Receptivity to the words of the Lord Jesus increases our capacity to understand His parables.

Listening is such an art. And, the Lord has been known to speak to us through a variety of means. However, the plumb line is His written word. When we are good at listening to Him, others will think of us as crazy. I believe this explains why so many reject His word. Of course, there are other reasons for their rejection, namely, they do not want someone telling them what to do.

Listening is hard work, yet, the more we do it, the easier it seems to become. When God speaks to us, He will always be consistent with His word, the Bible. Of course, there are many situations in our lives that He doesn't speak to us in His word specifically, so we must be in His word in order to hear His voice. He will never contradict His word when He speaks to us.

When we were born again, we were given new ears. Now, our ears are tuned to the frequency of the voice of the Lord Jesus who said in John 10, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. It got taller and produced a crop. Some plants made thirty times more, some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Let those with ears use them and listen!"

When the human heart is left to itself, it will always be barren. If we do not bring it before the Lord, "breaking up the fallow ground," as the prophet said, it will remain as it was when we were born into this world, barren. The prophet said, "The heart is deceitful above all else, and desperately wicked." Solomon said, "Keep your heart with all diligence, out of it proceed the issues of life."

The receptivity of the human heart to the truth of God is evidenced by growth. When we hear spiritual truth, and we give it safe haven in our hearts, more truth will be given to us. This is why some people get bored with Bible study, because they never allow the truth to sink deep enough into their hearts. It is not given the chance to penetrate the heart.

The phrase, "Let those with ears use them and listen," appears eight times in the New Testament. When the Lord Jesus addresses those who have ears, He refers to all who have been given His word, no matter our age, ethnicity, language, or status. But there is a difference between having ears and having "ears to hear." 

To have "ears to hear" means we are allowing the Word of God to penetrate our hearts, leading to a confrontation of our natural way of thinking and God's way of thinking. When God's way of thinking defines us, we will bear His fruit to the glory of God. It is up to us, the hearers, to decide whether to receive His life altering words or not. When we throw the welcome mat out before our hearts for His word, eternal life happens.

Mark 3:31-35

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31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to tell him to come out. 32 Many people were sitting around Jesus, and they said to him, “Your mother and brothers are waiting for you outside.” 33 Jesus asked, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Then he looked at those sitting around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants.”  ~ Mark 3:31-35

Today, we conclude our study of Mark 3 where the overriding theme is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be our Savior from our sinful condition. Mark wrote this Gospel account in order to give us a clear picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and His ministry. The supernatural world understood His identity, but most of the people didn't have a clear understanding of His identity, not even the disciples. In fact, the first in Mark's Gospel, to give a clear statement of His Messianic identity was the Roman Centurion who at the foot of the cross said, "Truly this was the Son of God."

In v.31-32 of today's passage we read, "1 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to tell him to come out. 32 Many people were sitting around Jesus, and they said to him, “Your mother and brothers are waiting for you outside."

You will remember that earlier in this passage the family of the Lord Jesus thought He was out of His mind due to the fact that the religious leaders accused Him to be demon-possessed and thus tried to dismiss Him and His ministry. The half brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus were not "born again," thus, they could not understand what the Lord Jesus was doing. This is what our unregenerate default mode does to us: it clouds our ability to recognize God, His work in our lives, and, in this world.

In v.33-35 of today's passage we read, "33 Jesus asked, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' 34 Then he looked at those sitting around him and said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants.'"

When word was delivered to the Lord Jesus that His family was outside, everybody expected Him immediately to go out and see them. But He didn't. Instead, He looked around at those seated around Him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants." 

In saying those words, the Lord Jesus made it clear that His family is made up of those who believe in and are being defined by the God of the Bible. This underscores the fact that the Word of God must have the final authority in our lives. It must be the deciding factor in the making of our decisions. 

Biblically speaking, there must always be a priority in our lives of spiritual relationships over any other relationships. Not that we should disregard our family, we should honor all. When the will of any human is not aligned with the will of God for our lives, we must obey God.

The evidence of His identity had piled up, and the people were slow to make the obvious conclusion and to make the consequent confession that the Lord Jesus is God. This went on until after the resurrection. You will remember that when He came back to Galilee, after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus appeared to 500 believers in Galilee. And when the Holy Spirit came in the upper room in Jerusalem, about month later, there were only 120 gathered there. The resurrected Christ was seen by 500 after His resurrection and only 120 were there in that upper room in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit came.

While on this earth, the Lord Jesus provided a lot of evidence for us to conclude His identity correctly. But, seeing is not always believing. The real world is an unseen world, a world that we can only access by the means of our faith, the Word of God, prayer and the Holy Spirit. It is a must that we are defined by the thoughts and culture of God as found in His Word. 

A part of the process of learning to view all things through the lens of the eternal is growing in our faith in the God of the Bible. And, in order for our faith in Him to grow, we must entertain the questions that are created by our doubts. One of the twelve disciples, Thomas, was skeptical about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and wanted proof in order to believe. 

In John 20:27 we read, "Then Jesus said to Thomas, Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas replied, "My Lord and my God!"

In John 20:29 we read. "Jesus said to him, 'Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" 

Our faith demands that we believe without seeing. When we are to be sure of what we cannot see, there is little room for asking for proof!  But, God reveals Himself to us best as we go through the hardest of moments wherein we learn the correct questions to ask of Him. Learning to trust Him, even when we cannot see the outcome of any situation, is what enables us to see Him best, with our hearts. This, in large part, is a must for the development of knowing Him and making Him known.

Mark 3:28-30

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"28 I tell you the truth, all sins that people do and all the things people say against God can be forgiven. 29 But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of a sin that continues forever." 30 Jesus said this because the teachers of the law said that he had an evil spirit inside him. ~ Mark 3:28-30

Today, we return to the gospel according to Mark whose complete name was John Mark. As has already been mentioned, John Mark was present at Gethsemane when the Lord Jesus was taken off to be crucified. Mark was that young man seen watching the happenings from a safe distance. In the book of Acts, John Mark helped Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, but John Mark left abruptly, and this created a rift between Paul and Barnabas. I say all of that to point out that John Mark knew failure.

In v.28-29 of today's passage we read, "28 I tell you the truth, all sins that people do and all the things people say against God can be forgiven. 29 But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of a sin that continues forever."

In context, here, the Lord Jesus was teaching the people on the heels of delivering a man from demon-possession, and, the religious leaders of Israel accused Him of casting out the demon by the power of Satan. In His teaching, the Lord Jesus employed a story to help the people to see the reality of what was happening there that day. The Lord Jesus was there to deliver all mankind from the clutches of the enemy, and, to present the gospel of the forgiveness of sin for all who were willing of heart to believe. Failure to do so means no forgiveness of sin.

Many have been very frightened by the words in Mark 3:28-29, and, as someone once said, "This is a passage that ought to frighten the comfortable and comfort the frightened." Some have wrongly concluded that the unpardonable sin is suggesting that the Lord Jesus had a demon, or that the works of God are really the works of the devil. It is important to notice that the religious leaders had not yet committed the unpardonable sin when they accused the Lord of having a demon. Otherwise, the Lord Jesus would never have warned them. By the very words used by the Lord Jesus, we conclude they had not come to that point. But, they were very close. The fact that the Lord Jesus warned the religious leaders makes it clear that they had not yet committed the unpardonable sin. 

The evidence that the Lord Jesus was the promised Messiah was mounting up, but, the religious leaders had not responded affirmatively to that mountain of evidence at this point. All through the Scriptures we note that it is the Holy Spirit's responsibility to point us to faith in the Lord Jesus. This is why the Lord Jesus was warning these religious leaders of rejecting the witness of the Holy Spirit. To reject the Holy Spirit's witness of the Lord Jesus as the Messiah is the unforgivable sin. 

In v.30 of today's passage we read, "Jesus said this because the teachers of the law said that he had an evil spirit inside him."

The religious leaders were close to rejecting the promptings of the Holy Spirit to believe in the Lord Jesus as Messiah when they accused Him of having a demon. And, if they ultimately rejected Christ, then there would be no hope for them, because there is no basis for forgiveness other than faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. We are forgiven when we believe in Him as our Savior, alone, for the forgiveness of our sin. But, if our hearts are resistant and we reject the claims of Jesus as the Messiah, the result is that there can be no forgiveness of sin for us. 

The religious leaders did not conclude that the Lord Jesus was just insane, but, they had to explain the supernatural, the fact that he delivered a man from demon possession. They knew that He had power over the demonic world. In that day, demons were out of the control due to the void of the truth being taught to the people. Since the religious leaders were not in personal relationship with God, their teaching had no authority to turn the hearts of the people to God. 

The religious leaders knew the Lord Jesus had power over the demonic realm and over disease. They had seen His miracles, and, this explains His great popularity at that time. But, they knew they had to give some sort of an explanation for the Lord's supernatural power. Their explanation had to be either God or Satan, because those are the only two supernatural powers. And, since they were unwilling to say it was the power of God, which was the logical thing to say, they led the people to think "He is possessed by Beelzebul."

Like John Mark when he deserted Paul on that first missionary journey, we have all struggled with the thought of whether God has forgiven us of our sin or not. We needlessly question this if we have trusted in the Lord Jesus as our Savior. I find it helpful to recall the words of C. S. Lewis, the great English writer, who once said, "When Jesus claimed to be God, there were only three options: either He is God, or He is a lunatic, or He is a liar pulling off a very, very grand scheme of deception." If we have concluded He is God, then we have not one thing to be worried about because the Lord Jesus took our sin head on at the cross and rendered it void in our account.

Mark 3:23-27

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23 So Jesus called the people together and taught them with stories. He said, “Satan will not force himself out of people. 24 A kingdom that is divided cannot continue, 25 and a family that is divided cannot continue. 26 And if Satan is against himself and fights against his own people, he cannot continue; that is the end of Satan. 27 No one can enter a strong person’s house and steal his things unless he first ties up the strong person. Then he can steal things from the house. ~ Mark 3:23-27

Today, we return to our study of the gospel according to Mark. As we have been seeing, the popularity of the Lord Jesus was on the rise. Of course, most of the people were attracted to the lesser more than the greater, meaning, they were most interested in the physical healing more than the spiritual healing. And, due to this they pressed in on the Lord Jesus so much that He was in danger of being run over by them.

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "So Jesus called the people together and taught them with stories. He said, “Satan will not force himself out of people."

The primary means by which the Lord Jesus taught was to tell stories. He knew we could only engage His reality with the eyes of our hearts, so He chose common stories to enable us to get to the heart of the meaning. The Lord Jesus often concluded His stories by saying, "He who has ears, let him hear." These ears are the ears of the heart, and to hear with these ears means to understand and respond to the deeper spiritual meaning in the story. 

The Lord Jesus came in order to extend the invitation into His kingdom across cultures, eras, generations, and languages for centuries. In His invitation, the Lord Jesus incorporated common, everyday stories to illustrate His culture. By doing so, He enabled the willing of heart to understand and enter God’s kingdom. 

In v.24-26 of today's passage we read, "24 A kingdom that is divided cannot continue, 25 and a family that is divided cannot continue. 26 And if Satan is against himself and fights against his own people, he cannot continue; that is the end of Satan."

Mark’s account of this parable omits two key elements included in Matthew and Luke. Mark’s first omission helps provide the parable's context; it’s the story of the Lord Jesus healing the blind, mute, demonized man by driving out the demon who had afflicted him. Mark's second omission is the crowd’s response: They were "amazed" and asked, "Could this be the Son of David?" The "Son of David" was a Messianic title, tantamount to being the Messiah.

There are 46 verses in the Bible that mention Satan. And, there are 32 verses that mention the devil. The Bible tells us Satan is cunning which means he is deceitfully clever and resourceful. And, the religious leaders of Israel accused the Lord Jesus of using Satan to cast demons out of demon-possessed people. If that were the case, He would have created anarchy in the underworld.

Satan's primary means of deceiving has always been doubt and fear. He knows the mind’s weakness and he uses it to influence his fear upon us. In order for us to live in victory, we must do what Paul instructed: "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." That means when we recognize a thought that begins to give safe haven in our souls to fear, it is imperative that we immediately replace it with the truth of God’s Word. Left to ourselves, our imaginations quickly grow into full-blown scenarios that cripple us with fear. But when confronted with truth, imaginations give way to fear unmasked to what they are: unreal.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "No one can enter a strong person’s house and steal his things unless he first ties up the strong person. Then he can steal things from the house."

First-century Jews expected the Messiah to bind the devil, as is mentioned in Isaiah 49:24–26. Isaiah foresaw a day in which the Lord would act decisively to redeem His children and take back what their enemies had taken. Isaiah 49 is about the Servant of the Lord, so we see that this recapturing of what had been lost was to be the work of the Servant, the same individual who atones for the sins of the people. So, in binding the strong man and taking back what the enemy had claimed for Himself, the Lord Jesus proved His identity as the Messiah by going to the cross of Calvary.

The strong person here is Satan and his house is the sphere where he has been given control; in this case in the souls of people. Yet, the Lord Jesus is stronger than the devil, and, He demonstrated He was stronger when He entered his domain, bound him, and set free those who are bound by him. 

The binding of the devil was guaranteed by the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, the result is not only the deliverance of the demon possessed, but the deliverance for all mankind who are willing to be defined by the Lord. In the near future, after the Tribulation, this binding will be experienced for a thousand years when the devil will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit. And, after those one thousand years of peace on earth, the final phase of the binding of the devil will be executed, when the devil and all that follow him will be eternally tossed into Hell.  

Mark 3:20-22

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20 Then Jesus went home, but again a crowd gathered. There were so many people that Jesus and his followers could not eat. 21 When his family heard this, they went to get him because they thought he was out of his mind. 22 But the teachers of the law from Jerusalem were saying, “Beelzebul is living inside him! He uses power from the ruler of demons to force demons out of people.” ~ Mark 3:20-22

Today, we return to our study of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ through the eyes of Mark and Peter. From a historical point of view, Mark's account is the oldest of the Gospels, and, it was a main source for the writings of Matthew and Luke. And, through our study of it, we will learn to see the heart of our Savior. And, as we see His massive heart for us, we will become more and more willing to be defined by Him, and, we will learn to see all things through His eyes.

When we became believers in Christ, we entered into His discipleship program. Discipleship takes us from being focused on ourselves to being focused, to some degree, on others. This is the point of our sanctification which incorporates the process of discipleship. It is our justification before God through Christ alone that gets us into heaven, and, it is our sanctification that gets heaven into us now. Our justification is about our salvation, and, our sanctification, for the most part, is about the salvation of others.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus went home, but again a crowd gathered. There were so many people that Jesus and his followers could not eat."

Many people clamored to be near the Lord Jesus who was so involved in ministry that He did not eat. This is the way of God, and, it includes humility and selflessness. The presence of these characteristics in our ministry is a sure sign that we are doing ministry the way the Lord desires. 

As the result of trusting the Lord Jesus as our Savior, God lives inside of us. His expression in, to, and, through our lives is determined by our willingness to depend upon Him and to let Him express Himself. And, to the degree that we yield ourselves to Him determines how much of Him we will experience for ourselves. Once this happens, we are positioned for Him to express Himself through us. And, once we have experienced this, we will want more of Him and His expression through us.

To yield to God is simply to allow God to define us. And, we do this best by bending our wills to His definition of things. Before we met the Lord, we were in the practice of yielding ourselves to our understanding of the way things should be. The Bible calls this sin. And, sometimes when we bend our wills to God's will, we will forgo even eating for the sake of the salvation of others.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "When his family heard this, they went to get him because they thought he was out of his mind."

The half brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus were not "born again," therefore, they lacked the ability to appreciate and understand His ministry. This explains why they thought "he was out of his mind." They failed to understand His real nature and His real calling. They thought that His decisions were absurd and they were afraid of what would happen to Him. This is what the flesh (evil desires of this world that are yet in us) does to us: it motivates us by an unwholesome fear and it clouds our ability to think logically with reference to the most important things in this life.

When the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ defines us, others will think that we are out of our minds. The Lord Jesus always lived to be defined by His Father, and, this is what happens in our lives when we are going through His discipleship program. Through this process, we experience the "exchanged life" which is eternal life. And, this eternal life yields "the substance of things hoped for." It is not less than sight, it is more than sight. It is our hearts ability to see and relate to God. Christ dwelling in our hearts is the key. 

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "But the teachers of the law from Jerusalem were saying, “Beelzebul is living inside him! He uses power from the ruler of demons to force demons out of people."

Those who should have understood the ministry of the Lord Jesus concluded something quite illogical. "Beelzebul is living inside Him." Beelzebul is a reference to Satan as king of the underworld. Yet again, the religious leaders' ill-informed theology threw them under the bus. They failed to see the real identity of the Lord Jesus, even though His miracles and message could not be more clear. This is the nature of deception, for it is guided by the rejection of a proper understanding of God.

God, through our acceptance of His Son as our Savior, cherishes us as His children. His acceptance of us is equal to His acceptance of His Son, the Lord Jesus. When we have believed in His Son, He sees us through the lens of His Son. As a result, we are wise to be defined by Him daily. When His value system becomes ours, it will alter our thinking and our choices. And, as a result, we will see anew through His eyes. Our thinking and our choices will be informed by the selflessness of God rather than the selfishness of this world.

At the end of the movie, Bruce Almighty, there is a great scene where Bruce, played by Jim Carey, is awakened while laying in a bed in the hospital. He had been run over by a truck and lived. God, played by Morgan Freeman, asks Bruce, "What do you want?" To which Bruce answers, "Grace" which was the name of his former girlfriend. Then Bruce goes on to say, "I want her to meet someone who sees her the way I do now ... through your eyes." This captures what ministry is all about. Seeing others through the eyes of the One who gave His only begotten Son to be the Savior of all who are willing of heart.

Mark 3:13-19

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13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons. 16 These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter), 17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), 19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). ~ Mark 3:13-19

Today, we return to our study of the Lord Jesus through the gospel given to us by God through the pen of Mark. Mark’s most significant personal connection to the Lord Jesus was through one of the first to be called by the Lord Jesus to follow Him, Simon Peter, who was likely Mark’s source for the material in this gospel. 

As we read in Acts 12, Mark’s mother’s house was a regular stop for Peter, so much so that the workers in their house recognized Peter by voice alone. And, according to Mark 14, it appears that Mark was present at Gethsemane when the Lord Jesus was arrested and was taken off to be crucified by the Jewish religious leaders. Mark was that young man seen watching the proceedings from a safe distance.

Mark’s gospel portrays the Lord Jesus as constantly on the move. The forward motion in Mark’s writing keeps the knowledgeable reader’s mind continually looking ahead to the cross and to the resurrection. In this account, thirty-nine times Mark used the word "immediately," giving a sense that the Lord Jesus’ time on earth was short and that there was much to accomplish in His few years of ministry. 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him."

Perhaps, the most profound witness that we can provide for the Lord Jesus is the witness of our transformed lives which only He produces. We can not change ourselves. In actuality, we are dying to our old selves and we are now learning to say "yes" to our new selves, and, our new selves are, in actuality, the presence of the Lord Jesus in our lives. 

The Christian life is what some have described as "the exchanged life," which is taken from Isaiah 40:31 which reads, "Those who wait on have the ability to renew their strength." The literal translation of the Hebrew word for "renew" is "exchange." Literally it means, "Those who wait on the Lord will exchange their strength for His strength."

The transformation of the believer in Christ happens always from the inside out. It happens as we daily learn to allow Him to be the center of our lives, which enables us to choose to be defined by Him. When we choose to be defined by Him, we will obey Him. Notice that these twelve men were called to be with the Lord Jesus. This is the point of all of our spiritual disciplines: to be with Him. For the twelve, to be with Him meant that they would be influenced by His culture. When we have been with Him, His presence is heightened in our lives.

If we present Christianity as merely peddling an ideology, offering it to people as great moral teaching, we miss the point. The point is to have an encounter with God which alters our culture and we begin thinking and living according to His word. As a result, we will be effective witnesses when we are able to communicate with people what it is to have a personal relationship with God. And, the real nice thing about God, He values and uses our uniquenesses.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons."

Before the Lord Jesus sent the 12 out to preach as apostles, they are to be with Him as disciples. A disciple is a learner. Any disciple has to learn from the Lord Jesus before he can be His ambassador. So, like the first disciples, we must hone the craft of being with the Lord, watching and hearing Him with our hearts on a daily basis.  

In v.16-19 of today's passage we read, "16 These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter), 17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), 19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him)."

This list of "the twelve" as they are called, appears four places in the New Testament: It appears in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and, in the book of Acts. Interestingly, this list appears not in the gospel according to John. When this list is given, it is presented in three groups of four men, and, Peter is always mentioned first. Judas Iscariot is always mentioned last because he betrayed the Lord Jesus, and James always appears before his twin brother, John.

Of the twelve, the Lord Jesus only gave another name to Simon, James and John. Simon Peter and James and John, the sons of thunder. This marked them as belonging to an inner circle with the Lord Jesus. And after this, when the Lord Jesus went to do something special He took with Him Peter, James & John. He dealt more intimately with these three. In doing so, He designated them leaders, the means by which the others would be reached. The Lord Jesus reached the few in order to reach the many. 

The first to be on the list is always Simon Peter whom we know to be impetuous. He didn't wait for things to happen; he liked to make things happen. Simon Peter struggled with patience. He didn't have a lot of it. Peter was the guy who got in trouble after he said, "You're the Christ, the Son of the living God." On the heels of that statement, the Lord Jesus told the disciples that He was going to Jerusalem to be killed. Peter vehemently objected, revealing his poor theology. Then, the Lord Jesus puts him in his place by saying to him, "Get behind me, Satan!"

Peter was the guy in the garden who took out his sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. And then, the Lord Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword away, Peter. If you live by the sword, you'll die by the sword." Peter eventually denied knowing the Lord, but he was eventually restored by the Lord, and went on to be a great leader.

The key to it all is being defined by the Lord Jesus which does not happen over night. So, be patient with yourself and with others. It is a good practice to learn to follow the Lord. We do this by talking with Him and listening to Him with our hearts. In order to hear Him best, we must make sure our hearts are being modulated by being in His word. Our faith in Him is illustrated by the old tuning button that used to be on radios. As we modulate the button, our hearts will better hear Him. And, the modulation button is His word informing our faith in Him.

Mark 3:7-12

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7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. 9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was. ~ Mark 3:7-12

The four Gospels are designed to provide proof of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ to a different group. All four Gospels tell us the Lord Jesus Christ is no mere man, prophet, or religious leader; they inform us, He is God. And, eternal life comes to those who believe the evidence of His deity. 

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him."

There were there, that day, tens of thousands who came from all over the area. It was the miracles of the Lord Jesus that was attracting the people. In their eyes, He was a spectacle causing His popularity to rise. And, even though His following had a gradual rise, today's passage underscores the emptiness of popularity. 

As mentioned, the crowd that pursued the Lord Jesus that day was attracted to His miracles instead of His message. As a result, the Lord Jesus began de-emphasizing His miracles. More than the human body, He came to heal man's heart. 

The people wanted miraculous healings, but the Lord Jesus wanted to provide for them the teaching that would heal their souls. Popularity is always a danger to us because, most often, it distorts our message. Popularity will always tempt us to emphasize the secondary, causing us to miss the most important. 

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him."

The Lake of Galilee is thirteen miles long and about seven miles wide, and, the Lord Jesus used it to retreat from the large buldging crowds. This large group of people was in danger of crushing the Lord Jesus because He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was."

When demons saw the Lord Jesus they always identified Him as the "Son of God." Yet, the Lord Jesus rejected their testimony because they were out to mislead the people into following their agenda rather than God. Though what these demons said was true, it was nevertheless misleading. As a result, the Lord Jesus rejected their testimony. 

When we are yet to understand what a given moment or a given truth is about, we are tempted to make out that we understand. It is always out of this context that we are in danger of falling into the trap of image. And, it is then that we are in the danger of manufacturing what we think God has made it about. Inevitably, we make it about something that is lacking in substance. As this passage points out, real life is not about the temporal or the image that may be put forth. No, real life is about the eternal and the substantive, real life is about a personal relationship with God. When we make it about image we show we lack substance. 

As the Lord Jesus was going about healing the sick and teaching the misled, no one tried to dismiss Him as a fraud. He performed miracles daily, underscoring His undeniable testimony as the "Son of Man," and the evidence of His deity. 

The religion of the so-called leaders of Israel was in opposition to the Lord Jesus because their teachings led the people to hell. Behind all of the religious were the activities of the demonic. In fact, at that time demon possession was at an all-time high. If the teachings of the religious leaders had been of God this would not have been the case. 

We live in a time when the presence of demons has not been all that obvious, because, for some time, we have enjoyed the residue of the impact of the teaching of the word of God in this country. As we go further from the influence of the truth in and on our culture, we will see an uptick of the demonic in our world.

When the Lord Jesus came on the scene, the demonic world responded quickly to Him which underscores the authenticity of His person and His message. When the Lord Jesus walked this earth and demons saw Him, the one possessed by the demon would be thrown to the ground by the demon. The verb used to describe this action is used eight times in the New Testament, and every time it describes an inferior bowing to a superior. The demonic world knows the identity of the Lord, and, they respond accordingly. 

The religion of the Pharisees was a system that emphasized the distance between God and the sinner. Though God was at work in the nation, He was yet distant. When the Lord Jesus began His ministry, He confronted this distance that was created by our sin. The law kept us at a distance and frightened us with the wrath of God, whereas, the Lord Jesus came in order to make it possible for us to know the forgiveness of our sin and that we would know God as our Father.

Mark 3:1-6

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1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him. 5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus. ~ Mark 3:1-6

Today, we come to Mark 3:1-6 where the Lord Jesus healed the deformed hand of a man in a synagogue on the Sabbath. The Lord Jesus is widely considered to have performed at least 37 miracles during his three-year ministry, from turning water into wine at the beginning to the second miraculous catch of fish towards the end. He also healed people, lots of people, with approximately two-thirds of his recorded miracles involving healing, and that doesn’t include casting out evil spirits or raising three people from the dead.

In v.1-3 of today's text we read, "1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone."

The Lord Jesus deliberately called the man with the deformed hand to the center of the room. He did not want any of those assembled to miss the healing that He was about to perform.  The purpose of God's miracles is to position us to hear and see most clearly the good news of the prospect of forgiven sin which is what enables us to have a personal relationship with God. Yet, the religious leaders of Israel were hard-hearted. In fact, they were there that day in the synagogue waiting for an opportunity to discredit the Lord Jesus. They were looking for Him to do or say something that would enable them to nullify His effect on the people.

Hard-heartedness: I find it much easier to spot it in someone other than me. The Pharisees, much like most of the American modern day media, are in the mode of watching and hoping for the Lord Jesus to slip up. At the heart of all judgmental people is a hard heart. This heart given to judgement is mired in fear. The Pharisees feared losing their status, money and followers.

In v.4 of today's text we read, "Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him."

Just then, the Lord Jesus asked His critics, the Pharisees, a question that they would not answer. The question was clearly a life or death question. When the religious leaders refused to answer His question, the Lord Jesus became angry for what a hard heart does to the human heart. A rigid, Pharisee-like approach to life imprisons us in our take on life. It leaves no room for mistakes, and it has a hard time receiving and giving grace. A hard heart doesn’t nurture self or others, it strangles the life out of all. 

Interestingly, there is nothing wrong with the Sabbath, as God gave it to man. But these men had added so many man-made rules to it that they had destroyed it. Their zeal to maintain it ruined its purpose. In a single moment, the Lord Jesus cut across all their pretense, and, their immediate reaction was to be so angry at the threat the Lord Jesus represented to their favored position in society that they immediately went out and joined their enemies, the supporters of Herod who was the villain in the Christmas story. Herod was a wicked king who saw the baby Jesus as a threat and wanted to murder him. The religious leaders sought help from the supporters of Herod, seeking their counsel on how they might kill Him. The Lord Jesus always drove evil right out into the open, where it was visible for all to see.

In v.5-6 of today's text we read, "5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus."

In Matthew's account of this story, the Lord Jesus asked the religious leaders, "Which of you, if you had an ox that fell into the ditch on the Sabbath wouldn't help it out?" You help out a stupid animal because you own it and it's your livelihood, it will bring you a profit, but you won't help out a human being made in the image of God?"

When the Lord Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand, I'm sure there were present there that day those who thought this command from the Lord Jesus was cruel. The Lord always gets us to the place in life when He gives an impossible command, but, whenever He gives a command like this, He always gives the power to accomplish the command. The Lord Jesus is always true to the truth.

The withered hand of that man that day was hardened, and, it was an analogy of the hardened hearts of the religious leaders. Much worse than the hardened hand of the man were the hardened hearts of the religious leaders. The withered hand of that obscure man that day in that synagogue served as an illustration for the hard-hearted. Any heart hardens when it is not receiving the love it needs to thrive. The Lord Jesus always uses His word in the process of revealing His heart to and for us. And, sometimes, He must reveal to us the hardened condition of our hearts before we can see and appreciate His heart of love for us. Our responsibility is to be soft enough for the Physician to do His work on us. Depending on our response to God's word, it will either harden us further or it will soften us. The choice is ours.